Hand trap for throwing clay pigeons



Nov. 23,1926. 1,607,8?4

' W. B. DARTON HAND TRAP FOR THROWING CLAY PIGEONS Filed March 1'7. 192s Patented Nov. 23, 1926.

UNETED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

winners) B. BARTON, or PORTLAND, MAINE.

HAND TRAP FQR THBOWING CLAY PIGEONS.

Application filed March 17, 1926. Serial No. 95,235.

a plurality of the targets simultaneously into the air by the swing of the lever or handle to which the device is attached,- the thrower being somewhat removed from the locality of the gunner.

One of the principal Objects of my invention is to provide a hand trap from which the flight of the targets, when more than one are thrown simultaneously, may be started at different relative angles causing them to diverge in different directions and to have become more or less widely separated when they have arrived at the proper shooting range. The ability of my trap to accomplish this object makes the sport of trap shooting much more interesting, as it calls for a higher grade of rnarkmanshio to wing the bird's while thus scattere d than if thrown so that they remain closely bunched while in the air.

Another object pertains to the attaching of the carrier to the handle in siich ainanher that it trails rather than leads the handle in the swinging movement of the latter while employed in the operation of discharging the targets-somewhat analogous to the action or the lash on whip.

A further object resides in the utilization of a portion of the handle to form the base or the earrier,-the longitudinal aXis or central line through the run-way of the carrier being, in general, substantially parallel to the axis of the handle.

And a still "further object relates to the matter of the variability in the amount of pressure used to hold the targets friction ally hired in the carriers. On. long throws the targets require a somewhat stronger grip tending to resist their expulsion from the carrier than is the case with short drives.

With theseand other objects in View the invention consists in thenoyel features here'- inafter described in the specification, and in the accompanying drawings wherein are shown the preferred embodiment of my inverition, 4

Fig. l is aperspective view of the hand trap, the handle being in fragmentary view;-

Figs. 2 and 3 are edge and face views, respegtively, of the same Fig. l a face View of the trap showing the carriers disposed at slightly different relative angles, and illustrates how the respective targets will leave the run-ways and continue their {light in diverging directions;

Fig. is a section transversely of a duplei: carrier trap,- section being taken on line 55, Fig. 3; p

6 is a face (upper side) View of a carrier plate, and d Fig. 7' is a face view of a carrier rail.

Similar characters of reference indicate similar parts throughout all the different 'iews in the drawing.

Referring to the illustrations, 1 is the trap handle having a slender aiid slightly flexible portion 1 and a thickenedouter end 1". The outer lower end 2 of the handle is cut down to make a flattened surface on which to lay the carrier plate 3, and a cleat 4E surmounts the latter and holds it in place as well as serving to promote symmetry in the shape of the handle. v

Passing through the cleat- 4, the carrier plate 3 and the flattened lower portion 2 of the handle is a bolt 5 operating in holes 6 in the wooden parts and hole 7 in the carrier plate. Y j I As provision is made for slightly oscillating the carrier plate, from the bolt 5 as the pivoting point, the holes 8 are elo'ngated, the clamp bolt 9 passing through one and the clamp bolt 10 passing through the other of the two holes 8, 8. v v

Superimposed on thecleat 4 is a rail 11, made, preferably, of rubber and of a thickness offering considerable stillness and stability to withstand the pressure of the tar get, or clay pigeon 12 therea'gainst'. The rail 11 is tapering, the inclination being on the edge adjacent the target and thewidest part being at the extreme end of the handle.

Thus as the target moves outwardly through the run-way of the carrier the resistance to its passage increases" gradually and quite perceptibly.

The holes 13 through which the bolts 9 and 5 pass are elongated for the purpose of allowing either lateral or angular adjustments of the rail to be made, with respect to either the axis of the handle or axis g/y ot the carrier,the lateral adjustments relative tothe barrier serving to take up far wear which may eecur on the con ibb tacting edge 11' of the rail, or to move this latter member bodily toward the spring 17 which would have the effect of increasing the peripheral tension on the target,the spring being, in reality, the agent supplying the greater portion of this increased pressure, although the rail itself being somewhat resilient would act in this capacity to a certain degree. A thumb nut 1 1 supplies a quick and convenient means to release the rail for angular adjustments thereof.

To better support the rail I provide a metal plate 15, positioned outwardly of the rail, which acts to hold the latter against the lateral thrust of the target.

On its outer lateral portion, the carrier plate is bent upwardly and inwardly, leaving a short side 3 and forming a channel 16 within which a small portion of the outer side of the target may operate. Within this channel I also secure a fiat spring 17 which bears against the periphery of the larger diameter 12' of the target 12 and forces the periphery of the smaller diameter 12 thereof strongly into contact with the edge 11' of the rail 11. By this ar-- rangement of parts the rail functions both as a track and a guard,-providing a surface over which the target may roll and a lateral guide, respectively.

It will be observed that I extend the carrier plate 3 rearwardly of the rail 11 for a considerable distance. This is for the purpose of facilitating the loading of the target into the carrier,providing to all intents and purposes a platform upon which the target is first laid and then simply pushed along until it comes within the grasp of the rail 11 and the spring 17.

Thus far the description of the device would fit and apply to a single carrier trap and while with the multiple carrier type as illustrated it is obvious that a single target might be thrown, it is conceivable that a trap embodying the features as hereinbefore described, with a single throwing element would be desirable.

In constructing a multiple carrier trap, as for instance the two-target style as shown in the drawings, a duplicate 3 similar in all respects except in one particular to the element 8, is secured to the under side of the handle. The dissimilarity of the plates 3 and 8 lays in the offset portion 18 which I make thus to avoid the enlargement of the handle at this point. In case more than two carriers were employed in the trap the handle might of necessity be somewhat increased in size, and it is apparent that in the case of two carriers the handle can be designed so that carriers of identically the same shape and of similar construction may be securely attached thereto.

In Figs. 1 and 3 the carriers are shown in transverse alignment. In Fig. 4:, however, they have been placed in disalignment and the targets when free from the carriers will take flight in diverging directions due to the fact that the rails over which the targets travel in passing out of the carriers are set in relatively different directions with respect to the axis of the handle. In the present case one target will start on the line 1/, the other on the line 2, and the farther they travel the great-er distance will they become separated.

It is necessary, however, to make the angular dissimilarity between the respective rails of but a slight amount as the targets will be, even then, sufficiently separated when they arrive at the proper shooting range or distance removed from the throwing location.

It is desirable, if not absolutely essential, that the targets take on a rotary movement as they leave the trap. This gives them a greater carrying power and increases the distance which they may be thrown. For this reason I make the rail, preferably of rubber, although I may elect to use any other material which has the frictionable characteristics of rubber. The purpose of the rubber rail is simply to trig one side of the periphery of the target and its effect is to cause it to roll over the rail surface rather than to slide out of the carrier.

To hold the carriers rigidly in whatever position they may be adjusted to, I provide a strap 19 having slotted holes to allow the carriers to be placed out of alignment, securing this strap by any suitable means, as the bolts and nuts shown.

In operation, my hand trap is first loaded with the targets, or clay pigeons by inserting them in the run-way of the carriers, preferably but not necessarily from the inner end, and when pushed along the carrier plate so that they are firmly gripped by the frictional embrace of the rail 11 and the spring 17, the trap is ready for operating.

The trap is usually held while executing the swinging movement in a substantially horizontal position, but if a higher elevation of the pigeons is desired the handle may be gradually raised during the latter part of the stroke.

The device is substantially built, has all the necessary adjustments to cover every possible requirement of a hand thrower, can deliver the clay pigeons either closely bunched or widely separated while they are in flight, and withal, fulfills theneed of an apparatus designed to accomplish the attainment of the objects hereinbefore enumerated.

The capacity of the trap could easily be increased two-fold by mounting a duplicate set of carriers on the forward side of the handle, identical. with those on the rearward Hit) Leos/374 side thereof, and operating the two sets simultaneously. 7

It is to be understood that while the de= vice as shown and described discloses the preferred embodiment of thy invention, I shall feel at liberty to depart from the exact mechanical arrangement and construction as herein set forth, provided, however,

'that all such changes shall not negate the spirit and intent of the invention nor violate the proper interpretation of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A hand trap for throwing clay pi eons, comprising a handle, a plurality of clay pigeon carriers adjustably secured to said handle and located at the outer portion and ,aterally thereof, and means on said carriers to hold in vertically spaced, fiat-wise relation, and to deliver, a plurality of clay pigeons.

2. A hand trap for throwing clay pigeons, comprising a handle, a carrier, adapted to hold a clay pigeon, adjustably positioned at the side and adjacent the end of said handle,

means to peripherally hold said pigeon in said carrier,the contacting points with the periphery of said pigeon both being on a plane at substantially a right angle with the vary the position of the said carrier with respect to the angular relation of a longitudinal, central line theret-hrough and the axis of the said handle.

3. A hand trap for throwing clay pigeons, comprising a handle, a plurality of carriers adjustably mounted on said handle, each being adapted to receive and hold a clay pigeon and means to cause said pigeons to traved in different tangential directions and in different planes when discharged from said trap.

A hand trap for throwing clay pigeons, comprising a handle, a plurality of carriers adjustahly mounted on said handle and each adapted to receive and hold a clay pigeon and means whereby all of said pigeons may be discharged simultaneously from said carriers and in flight, travel in the same tangential direction but in different planes.

A hand trap for throwing clay pigeons,

comprising a handle, a plural carrier located.

on and laterally of said handle and adapted to hold a plurality of clay pigeons arranged in substantial axial alignment and in spaced relation, relatively, said pigeons to be of the type generally used in trap shooting, and ieldable gripping means on said carrier by which to frictionally secure each of said pigeons at two contacting points on its periphery, both of said points to be located laterally of the axis of said handle and normally disposed in a plane running at or relatively close to 90 degrees from the said axis.

xis of the said handle and means to carriers, means to resiliently force the periphery of each of said pigeons into contact with one of the respective rails, an upper guard inwardly disposed on each carrier serving in conjunction with said rail to limit the axial movement of each of said pigeohs,'and means to vary; relatively, the

angular relation of the pigeon contacting edges of the said rails.

7. A hand trap for throwing clay pigeons, comprising a handle, a carrier for a clay pigeon mounted on the side and adjacent to theouter end of said handle and exteriorly of the axis thereof, means to normally hold said clay pigeon yieldingly within said carrier and means to retard the movement, forwardly, of one portion of the periphery of the said clay pigeon in excess of that of the opposite side, whereby, when being discharged from said carrier, a. rotary movement of said clay pigeon while in fli ht may result.

8. A hand trap for throwing clay pigeons, comprising a handle, a carrier for a clay pigeon mounted on said handle, means to receive and frictionally hold said pigeon within said carrier on two opposing points on the periphery thereof, said points to be exteriorly of the axis of said handle and in a plane cutting the axis of said handle substantially at a right angle, means to progressively increase the resistance to the passage of said clay pigeon from out of said carrier as it moves toward the discharging position therein and means to vary, either to increase or decrease, the potency of the pressure of the said holding means on the periphery of said pigeon while in normal, resting position within said carrier.

9. A hand trap for throwing clay pigeons, comprising a handle, a plurality of carriers mounted on the side of the outer end portion of said handle, a rail in each of the run-ways of said carriers and adaptable of both a lateral and a pe'ipheral contact with a clay pigeon disposed within said run-way, means to yieldingly hold said pigeons in close relation, peripherally, with the edge of their respective and adjacent rails, means to ad just said rails for greater or lesser tension against said pigeons and means to adjust said carriers so that said pigeons may be in relatively slight axial disalignment when they are collectively assembled in said carriers.

10. A hand trap for throwing clay pigeons, comprising a handle, a plurality of carrier plates adjustably mounted thereon exteriorly of the axis thereof, each plate having a short bent over outer and upper side, inwardly disposed toward said handle and forming a channel in which a portion of a clay pigeon may be laterally confined, flat-wise of said plate, a plurality of rails adjustably secured to said handle and projecting beyond the side thereof, each respective rail adapted to serve to confine the opposite and lateral side of one of the said pigeons, whereby in (Jo-action with one of the bent over side portions of said plate, said pigeon may be held flat-wise within the runway of said trap, said rail adapted further to serve as a track over which said pigeon may roll in its outward passage from said run-way, means to vary the angular relation between the pigeon-contacting-edges of said rails and the axis of said handle, means whereby the said edges of the said rails may be arranged in relatively different angular relation, each with the others, and means to yieldingly force the periphery of each of; said pigeons against the edges of their respective rails so that normally they may be frictionally held thereon. 1

WILLARD B. DARTON. 

